Electrical receptacle



Sept- 18, 1951 J. F. O'BRIEN ETAL 2,567,961

ELECTRICAL RECEPTACLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 27, 1948 /m/en fors.

E Vroom gen /s John B. Gata/d0 Sept 18, 1951 J. F. o'BRlEN ET A. 2,567,961

ELECTRICAL RECEPTACLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. ,27, 1948 56 v /6 56 f4 H68 .Jo/m B. 00m/d0 Kenne/h E. Vroom Sept 18, 1951 J. F. O'BRIEN ET AL 2,567,961

ELECTRICAL RECEPT/,CLE

Filed Nov. 27, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 /n venfors.

l Joseph O'Br/'en Joh/7 B. Gaia/d0 Kennet/1 E. l/roomv Agents of continuous conductors.

Patented Sept. 18, 1951 ELECTRICAL RECEPTACELE Application November 27, 1943, Serial No. 62,382

3 Claims. (Cl. 21m-51.15)

This invention relates to surface wiring, and more particularly to lamp holders or receptacles for light bulbs or the like which are attached to the continuous conductors of an electrical conductor strip. The present invention is directed particularly to such a receptacle having a chain pull switch incorporated therein.

Continuous electrical conductor strip wiring has been developed which may be attached to a wall surface and which may have connected to it at suitable locations any type of electrical outlet or receptacle. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved receptacle of the character which may be attached to this type It is a further object to provide a receptacle which may be readily attached to conductors and which will then maintain good electrical contacts. It is a further object to provide receptacles of the above character which are simple and sturdy in construction, light in weight, and inexpensive to manufacture. These and other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out below.y

In the drawings in which is shown one embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 illustrates a continuous strip conductor which extends along the opposite side l-walls and ceiling of a room and which carries receptacles incorporating the invention;

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the clip of v respectively on the lines l-lt, ifi-iii and l-i of Figure 11; and,

Figure 16 is an end elevation casing.

Referring particularly to Figure 1 of the drawings, the side walls 2 and ceiling 8 of the room have extending therealong a continuous electrical conductor strip which is a pair of insulated Wires of an electric lighting or distribution circuit. Mounted on each of walls 2 and on ceiling i is an electrical receptacle t having a light bulb it therein and having a downwardly hanging chain i2 which is pulled to operate a switch in the base of the bulb socket. As shown best in Figure 3, strip s is formed by a pair of single strand wires It and i6 enclosed in the edges of a strip of semi-rigid plastic insulation i8. Strip 6 is attached to the wall and ceiling by means of screws or nails extending through openings 20 spaced along the center line of the strip. At the zone of attachment of each of the receptacles s the insulatingmaterial is removed so as to expose the bare wires i4 and it.

Each of the receptacles 3 has a main casing or shell 22 (see Figures i0 to 16, inclusive), which has a base portion 2t of somewhat rectangular cross-section and an upwardly projecting central portion 2t which isgenerally cylindrical. .Centrally positioned within the cylindrical portion 26 (see Figure 4) is a socket and switch assembly 2d which has at the top a threaded metal socket or shell 3@ and at the bottom a. switch assembly 32. Shell s@ is adapted to threadably receive the base of a. light bulb, and the entire socket and switch assembly is of known character and the details of construction are omitted.

Electrical connections to the socket and switch assembly are provided at the two sides by a pair of screws 34 and 36 which are tightened onto the respective slotted upper ends of a pair of connector strips 38 and 40. Strip 38 (see Figures '7 and 8) is integral with a connector clip 42 which vhas a conductor-receiving channel 43, and at each end of the channel there is a pair of spring arms 46. Strip 40 is shorter than strip 38 and is integral with a connector clip 44 (see Figure 9) which is similar to clip 42 with a channel portion 45'and-two pairs of spring arms 41. The

of the main normal free position of arms 46 is that shown in Figure 7, but when the receptacle is assembled 3 each pair of arms is'positioned in a pocket 4l. Thus, the two arms of each pair are deformed toward each other and exert pressure on the sides of the pocket so as to frictionally hold the spring arms in the pocket. Arms 41 are identical with arms 48 and each pair is similarly held in a pocket 48, and the four pockets 48 (see Figure 11) are concentrically positioned with respect to the center of the shell.

As indicated above, switch 32 is of the chainpull snap type, and (Figure 2) it is operated by the chain I2 which extends from a bell 52 which projects through an opening 54 (see Figure 10) in the side of shell 22. The bottom of shell 22 is closed by a bottom plate 56 (see Figure 4) upwardly in shell 22 by an internally threaded collar 80 which is threaded onto the upper end of shell 30. As shown in broken lines in Figure 2, the switch assembly 32 presses upwardly against a flange SI (see also Figure on the inner surface of shell 22. The upward pull on socket 30 not only holds the assembly 28 securely in place against flange 6I, but it also acts through strips 3B and 40 to pull the clips 42 and 44 tightly against wires I4 and I6. Thus, the receptacle is mechanically rigid and at the same time good electrical connections are insured.

When it is desirable to attach the receptacle to the wires I4 and I6 of a conductor strip, the

insulation is first removed for a length slightly greater than the length of clips 42 and 44. Then the clips are slipped around the wires and the wires are pushed down into the channels 43 and 45 to the position of Figure 5'. The clips then have their slotted upper ends slipped under the heads of screws 34 and 36 on assembly 28 (Figure 4) and the screws are tightened. Thus, the clips and assembly 28 are connected together on the wires asv shown in Figure 6. Shell 22 is then slipped down over assembly 28; and during this operation chain I2 is pulled out through hole 54, and spring arms 46 and 40 are pushed into their pockets 48. Bottom plate 56 is then put into place and screws 58 are tightened to clamp strip 6. Thus, the receptacle is attached to the wires and assembled in a quick and-easy manner. After assembly the receptacle is attached to the wall or ceiling by two screws extending throughholes 82 at the ends of the base portion of shell 22.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that the invention provides a simple, light, small and safe receptacle or lamp holder for connecting an electric light bulb or like threaded electrical appliance in circuit with the continuous conductors of an electrical conductor strip. The lamp sulating material having a relatively fiat base portion and an integral cylindrical portion centrally positioned and projecting transversely of said base portion, said base portion 'having recesses at opposite ends thereof which are adapted to have a pair of parallel electrical conductors pass therethrough, a switch assembly positioned in said cylindrical portion, said switch assembly having va shell with external' threads and having two electrical terminals, a pair of connector clips electrically connected respectively to said terminals of said switch assembly and having conductor-receiving channels positioned in alignment with the respective recesses for the conductors, said casing having an internal flange, and a ring of insulating material threaded onto they external lthreads of the shell of said switch assembly and holding said switch assembly against said internal flange. 1

2. In an electrical receptacle of the character which may be attached to a conductor strip comprising a pair of insulated parallel conductors, the combination of a socket of insulating material having an elongated base portion through which the conductor strip may extend, said socket also having a central cylindrical portion projecting transversely from its base portion and having therein a cylindrical recess, with an internal flange near the end thereof remote from the base portiona shell and switch assembly disposed within said socket and positioned against the flange of the cylindrical portion of said socket, the shell of said assembly projecting beyond the central cylindrical portion of said socket; the cylindrical portion of said socket having therein a side opening, and the shell and switch assembly having switch operating means projecting through the opening in the cylindrical portion of said socket for operation of the switch from the side of the cylindrical portion; said shell and switch assembly having two terminals positioned on opposite sides thereof; a pair of metal clips connected respectively to the terminals of said switch, each metal clip having a conductor receiving channel portion within which a bared conductor ofthe conductor strip is disposed; the base portion of said socket having grooves at the opposite ends thereof which are adapted to receive the conductor strip beyond its bared conductor section and said metal clips; and a cover plate removably attached to said socket'and adapted to clamp the conductor strip in the grooves in the base portion of said socket.

3. An electrical receptacle comprising: a socket consisting of a base portion of somewhat rectangular cross section and a cylindrical portion integral with said base portion and projecting therefrom; said cylindrical portion having a ilange formed on the inner surface thereof and having therein an opening extending therethrough inwardly of its flange; a switch assembly disposed in said socket and having two terminals positioned on opposite sides thereof, said switch assembly also having switch operating means projecting through the opening in said cylindrical portion of'said socket; an internally and externally threaded shell for receiving the base of a light bulb operatively fixed to said switch assembly and extending centrally of said cylindrical prtion out of said socket; a pair of metal clips connected respectively to the two terminals of said switch assembly, each of said clips having formed thereon a conductor-receiving channel for accommodation vci? a bared con- 35 ductor of a conductor strip; and a bottom plate 5 for closing the bottom of said socket and clamping the conductor strip to said socket at its ends; in combination with an internally threaded collar to engage the external threads of said shell, to bear upon the outer. end of said cylindrical portion and to pull said switch assembly against the flange formed on theA innerv surface of said cylindrical portion. whereby said clips connected to the terminals of said switch assembly'together with the conductors in the conductor-receiving channels thereof are pulled and held inwardly of said socket.

JOSEPH F. O'BRIEN. JOHN B. CATALDO. KENNETH E. VROOM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS O'Brien July 4, 1944; 

